Electrohydraulic brake energizer



Feb 7 3195@ D. F. BERTQNNEAU 21.495431 ELECTROHYDRAULIC BRAKE ENERGIZER Filed Ooi. 3, 1945 C nvm/Tm mjHe/ f Beffen/76a@ 5r Patented Feb. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,496,431 ELECTROHYDRAULIC BRAKE ENERGIZER Daniel F. Bertonncau, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 3, 1945, Serial No. 620,014.

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved electrohydraulic brake energizer, and the subject matter of the present application is related to my contemporaneous invention and co-pending application for United States Letters Patent entitled Combination brake and throttle foot control, assigned Serial No. 620,013, filed October 3, 1945, now abandoned.

One of the important objects of this invention is to provide an electro-hydraulic brake energizer which can be conveniently and efliciently employed with my aforesaid Combination brake and throttle foot control, and which is moreover particularly adapted for use with automotive vehicles, especially those of the internal combustion engine propulsion type.

Another and further important object oi the invention is the provision of an electro-hydraulic brake energizer which can be used with my aforesaid combined brake and throttle control element whereby both the brake and throttle can be operated by a single foot pedal, which offers a vast increase in the safety of operation of automotive vehicles.

A still further important object of the invention is to provide in an electro-hydraulic brake energizer a mechanism which will eliminate lost mtion, lost time and body fatigue entailed in use of the conventional brake and throttle arrangement, permitting a faster and more certain application of automotive brakes.

A still further important object of the invention resides in the provision of an electro-hydraulic brake energizer which will automatically act as a parking brake when the ignition switch of the car is cut ofi and the energizer set. Additionally, the parking brake is automatically released when the ignition is again cut in.

Another and still further important objectv of the invention is to provide in an electro-hydraulic brake energizer a means whereby undesirable backward motion of the car on hills is prevented in that the driver of the car is enabled to go directly from brake to throttle operation without lost time or motion.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawing and following specification.

The invention, in a preferred form, is shown in the drawing and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a detail view, partly in section, and parts being broken away, others being merely diagrammatic, of the electro-hydraulic brake energizer of this invention, showing generally the construction. Y

Figure 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the unitary brakey and throttle control which is auxiliary to the invention, but which forms the subject matter of the above described separate application for Letters Patent.

As shown in the drawing: i

The reference numeral I 0 indicates generally the cylinder which contains the hydraulic fluid and in this cylinder is positioned a piston I2 and a compression spring I4 behind the piston. The compression spring interacts with the braking system of the vehicle by reaction thrust transmitted through the ramrod 80, and there is an electrically driven gear type hydraulic pump I6. Application of the brakes is effected by means of f the expansive power of the spring I4 and release f of the brakes is accomplished by means of hy draulic pressure from the pump I6 acting upon the piston.

The combined brake and throttle pedal I8 of Figure 2 controls the operation of the brake energizer through'a flexible control 20, and this foot pedal I8 also controls the throttle of the automobile by means of a pin 22, which passes through the iloorboard 24 of the automobile. These elements and the operation thereof are more fully described in my co-pending application for patent. Suiice it to say that the degree of de-` pression of the rearmost portion oi the pedal I8 by means of heel pressure controls the opening and closing of the hydraulic fluid control valve 26 of the energizer by means of a flexible wire control 20. The valve and terminus of the wire control 20 are mounted on the bridge 28, which extends over the cylinder I0. The valve 25 is a conventional shut-01T valve controlling duid flow through the central conduit connecting the cavity 54 with the main cavity of the cylinder I0.

As illustrated in the drawing, the spring I4 is at its maximum limit of expansion and the valve 26 is in the `closed position. Normally the expansion of the spring would be further limited by the resistance of the braking system when full application of the brakes is accomplished. Return of the valve from the closed to the opened position is accomplished by a coiled spring 30, and this operates when the combined brake and throttle pedal is at a neutral or at an advanced throttle position. Valve 26 is normally open and operation of the motor 44 and its integral hydraulic pump I6 forces hydraulic fluid through u the uid line 50. past the check valve 52 and into f the pressure chamber 54 above the piston l2.

This forces the piston and ramrod downward, compressing the spring I4. When the piston I2 moves upwardly in the cylinder I the flow of iiuid exhausted from 54 by this upward movement of the piston is through the central conduit 55, valve 26 (which would then be in an open position due to release of the pedal I8 and retraction of spring 30), through the space at the rod end of cylinder I 0, and through conduit 58 to tank 56.

When the valve 26-is in the closed position, an eccentric cam 32 depresses the remote control electrical contact switch 34. This switch is ener gized from the electrical system ofthe-vehiclevv through the ignition switch by means of a wire 36.

When the remote control switch isdepressed by. the cam 32, the electrical circuitis closed and the wire 38 is energized through the. closed, breaker switch 4U, actuating a relay 42, which in turn energizes anelectricmotorillustrated diag grammatically at 44. This is accomplished through Vvthebatterycable 46 and the b us connection 48, the cable, 46,-.being connectedA to thebattery ofthe car.

Operation ,of themotor 44-y and ,the integral hydraulic pump I6 forces-hydraulic fluid-.throughthe fluid line or tube 50,.pas tthe check-valve 52 andinto the pressure; chamber 54- Whilch comprises oneend of the .cylinder Illyandthislforcesnthe piston I2 downwardlyagainst;the,pressure,. of the spring I 4, thereby@ compressing -sa.id -spr ing .-V and thrusting theramrod 60- outwardly-,from-jthe, cylinder.

The p ump I S-draws fluid from V the .reserve iiuiglSv and expansion tank 56,,the..-supply-ofwhicheis-A augmented whenthe-pump-is in operation byI discharge, from the cy1i- 1 i der I Il,- :thijoughthe `line 5B, as will be -obvious.-

So long. as the pump n.tir.1l1l=-Svin;- Operation, the piston I2 and associated ramrod 60 are .forced-; downwardly until the breaker arm 62-` attached to the rarnrod 6 0; contacts -the breaker switch 40r which opens thecircuit. The-,positionofth i,sz breaker switch is adjustable.-,sog-that-A itl-, :nay-bel;` set to permit suilicient action offthe-ramrodfto assure full release of the brakes.

At'any point in the travelofthe piston.Iz--aniramrod BD -the directionof-motion maybesteppe df vided and the possibility of the opera-tor's foot slipping oiT the brake if the same is oily or wet, or of missing the pedal entirely in an emergency is eliminated. The energizer develops suiiicient force to permit harder and more durable brake linings to be used, in addition to the fact that better braking action results. The energizer will compensate for normal wear of brake linings by virtue ofthe lreserve travel range of the piston, which automatically advances furtheras the linings wear, thereby eliminating the necessity of frequent brake adjustments.

The energizer is fool-proof in that failure of `the system will itself automatically cause applion otherwise-than as necessitated bythe claimsl hereto-appended.

I claim as my invention:

1; AA brake energizerfor vehicles comprising a. cylinder, a spring-compressing piston therein, a

hydraulic uid system including amotor-driven pump, means for forcing fluid into the cylinderaheadof Vthe piston, Whereby'the spring is coma pressed,said means being controlledby, a foot,

pedal on the floorboard of the vehicle,- and ,a .valve.

governing the fluid control, together with-a cam operatingin conjunction with said ,valveto conf.

trol Asaid motor-driven pump.

2,.l A brake energizer-for, vehicles comprising a.

cylinder, a Spring-.compressingpiston therein, a

hydraulic. fluid system v,including a motor-driven p,i1 rnp meansAv for, forcing -fluid into the .cylinder ahead of the piston, whereby the spring iscom pressed, said-means beingcontrolled'by a,foot

" pedalonthe-,oorboard ofthe-vehicle, anchai and reversed by proper action of theffootg pelalu-L 6 It will be seen thatherein, is provided an', o

electro-hydraulic brake energizer which, withtheassociated combination brake'andfthrottle conf-A trol, provides a highly important safety feature.; in automotive vehicle` operation. l Releaseof; brakes only is dependent upon the electrical and hydraulic systems, andfailure-of, either; cannot; prevent fullest application of thebrakes Open? ingof the control valve orfevena break in the; hydraulic system would-merely causegreturn of; thelpiston to itsmaximumextended positionand according application offthe brakes.4 in-spiteoff any failure'of-the electrical system.

It will be-seen that in addition tothe-safety; feature and an elimination -ofv lost-motion, and.; body fatigue by the use of a singlebrake andg throttle control, the customary separate brake` and throttle control devices` can bei-eliminated? and" both unitsincorporatedl ina .single pedaL,

Morer certain, application of; theebrakeisfprof; ui;

valve governing thefluid control, together; with; acam operating,-` in conjunction with the. said;V valve, and ,a-rernote control-contact switch assos.

ciated-` with the.- cam and :controlling said l motor.- driven pump.

A brake energizerforvehicles-comprising-a cyhnder, a springfcompressing pistontherein, ahydraulic fluid system includinga motor-drivenpump, meansA for forcing iluidiinto-the cylinder-- ahead.of-:the;.piston, whereby the spring is com-- pressed,` said. means being controlled bya foot pedal on the iloorboard of the vehicle, and aI valvegoverning-the fluid control, together with 0A acam operating in conjunction with said valve,`

cylinder, a spring-compressing pistontherein, a ramrod` associated with the piston, a hydraulic:

iluidl systemincluding a motor-driven pump, means for forcing iiuid into the cylinder ahead'v of the piston, whereby--the-spring iscompressed,

said-lmeans-beingy controlled by a footpedal ony the iioorboard of the vehicle, andla valvegoverning the fluidfy control together-with a cam operating in conjunction-,with said valve, a remote. control electrical contact switch associated-1- with the cam and a relay energized when the switch is closed, the relay in turn energizing the pump motor and a breaker switch associated with the l'amrod acting to de-energize said pump motor.

DANIEL F. BERTONNEAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

Number 6 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Lormller Sept. 2, 1930 Goldman Oct. 14, 1930 Peabody et a1 Feb. 18, 1936 Althouse May 26, 1936 Burton et al June 15, 1937 Sampietro Dec. 12, 1939 Hyatt et a1. May 11, 1943 Piron Sept. 28, 1943 

